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A combination boiler, also referred to as a “combi boiler, delivers both domestic hot water and space heating in a single package so as to save space, and in a lot of cases, money. These great features makes the appliance a very popular choice in UK homes and in fact, it represents more than 50 percent of all new boilers fitted in the UK on a yearly basis.

Most modern and high efficiency combi boilers are usually stainless steel condensing boilers which normally features an in-built secondary heat exchanger to deliver domestic hot water to a home or property. What’s more? When it comes to the heating season or the cold months, the combi boiler will operated as required to heat a structure and offer hot water for showers, sinks as well as other hot water appliances around the house. And when it gets to the warm season or summer months, the combi boiler will only work when there’s a need for domestic hot water which also helps you save more money.

Combi boilers are able to provide domestic hot water in such a way that’s energy efficient due to two primary reasons - the combi units possess a very high operating efficiency and also have a low internal water volume. As a result, in during the hot summer when space heating is not required, you’ll only have to pay to heat up the hot water that you really need and not an entire tank.

Combi boilers also have the following benefits:

✓ Lower costs. Due to the combined nature of the boiler and the lack of tank in the roof space, the installation time and costs are at a minimum.

✓ Saves space in your home as it effectively combines a central heating boiler with a water heater into one unit.

In the UK, more than 50 percent of the money paid for utility bills is aimed at heating and hot water costs as stated by the Energy Saving Trust. This also means that when you settle for an old or ageing boiler, you’ll have to unnecessarily incur high utility bill in order to heat your home and have hot water on demand. In this kind of situation, the most effective and practical solution is to fit a new gas boiler in your home. This will provide you several benefits such as improved efficiency and reliability as well as reduced operating costs.

However, the only drawback here is the fact that removing your old gas boiler and replacing it with a new gas boiler isn’t a 5 minute task. And as you would have expected, like many other home improvement project there’s always an element of disruption that you’ll have to put into consideration when fitting a new gas boiler system. Good news is, with a qualified and experienced heating companies, these disruptions can be kept at a minimum. So now let’s take a look at how long it’ll take to replace a gas boiler depending on the type.

✓ An existing combi boiler upgrade - Installation times may vary, but typically the removal of an existing combi boiler and installation of a new one will usually be completed in a day - about four to six hours.

✓ Converting a regular to a combi boiler - Due to the fact that these type of project is usually labour intensive, it’ll take longer to complete - about 2 days.

✓ First time installation of new boiler to a home. This will usually take about 3 or more days because new pipes and other tasks need to the installation will be carried out.

How Much Does It Cost To Service An Oil Boiler?

With several homes in the UK using gas central heating, about 6 percent of households in the United Kingdom makes use of oil for their heating needs. If you’re one of those homeowners with an oil boiler, then you should know that servicing your oil boiler is a compulsory activity which should be done regularly in order to ensure the safety of your home, boost the efficiency of the boiler while also help you save money as it ensures you do not incur the potentially expensive repairs or even having to purchase a replacement boiler. If you service your oil boiler every year, you can be rest assured that you’ll continue to derive maximum benefits from your prized heating system for a long period of time. So exactly how much will you have to pay to service your oil boiler?

The service cost of an oil boiler is influenced by a wide range of factors which includes the location. However, the average cost of servicing an oil boiler in the UK is between £65 to £90, but depending on the location as well as other influencing factors, this price might be higher or lower.

Due to the higher cost of living and high demands at places such as London and the south east of the UK, you can discover that the cost of servicing your oil boiler can jump to as high as £160 to £190. In other regions, you can also find the oil boiler service cost to be as low as £50 to £60. What’s more? In the same locations, you can also discover varying prices which depends on the available services. Furthermore, in areas where there’s a lower competition from several engineers, the prices may also be higher.

The Oil Firing Technical Association or OFTEC operate a competent persons scheme to certify installers. It’s always recommended to use an installer with this certification as it proves they have the training and expertise to properly install your boiler and give you realistic advice on the efficiency of your system. Also, OFTEC registered installers offer Workmanship Warranties to protect you if there are any problems after installation.

First and foremost, the purpose of a landlord insurance is simple and pretty straightforward. It protects against risks associated with your rental property as well as activity. Most policies start out with building insurance as well as property owners’ liability insurance but you’re absolutely free to include several other covers. These covers can include tenant default or accidental damage, loss of rent and more depending on your needs. It’s important to note that varying types of landlord insurance provides coverage for different sorts of risks. For instance, building insurance provides coverage for the cost of repairing or rebuilding your property, while contents insurance provides coverage for contents if they’re damaged or stolen. However, the question is, does landlord insurance cover boiler? In this post, we’re going to shed more light into this to help you make informed decisions moving forward. Let’s take a look!

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, landlord insurance can definitely cover boiler break down! However, this is usually possible only if you select this option when you purchase your landlord insurance policy. With some boiler cover providers, you’ll have to include a home emergency cover to your landlord insurance so as to cover any form of boiler break down. Once this is done, if the boiler in your rental property starts to malfunction or stops functioning, a Gas Safe registered engineer would be sent to your premises to help out with the situation. With this, the repairing cost of your heating system would be covered by the insurance excluding any excess and up to the limit of your policy.

Can I Repair My Own Gas Boiler?

If you’re more of an handy person, then you’d probably want to fix everything you can around the house while saving yourself some money that would have been spent on hiring a professional instead. This is a very cost effective but at the same time you must know that some tasks are usually more difficult than others, and a good example of those complex tasks is boiler repair. Not only can this be very tough, but they can also potentially be one of the most dangerous home appliances you can acquire. So with that in mind, what can be done to ensure your gas boiler is taken care of and in the event whereby it starts to malfunction, what can be done to remedy the situation?

With regular maintenance and repair of your gas boiler, you’d have absolutely nothing to worry about. However one of the fear several DIYers have is the fact that they might just end up incurring more expenses on services they didn’t really need in the first place. But when it comes to gas boilers, it’s necessary to be certified to work with them as it’s very dangerous to tackle it all by yourself. Despite this, there are still some minor issues that you wouldn’t need to hire a technician to resolve. In some cases, all that would be needed is simply to reset the boiler. To identify where the reset button is, simply go through your boiler’s manual for more information. Most times, all you’ll have to do is press down the reset button for a couple of seconds. If the boiler isn’t fully restored to its normal proper functioning state after two resets, then you may need to call in a professional for help.

Does Home Insurance Cover Boiler Repairs?

When winter comes, your boiler is most likely to be one of the most used appliances in your home. It keeps operating for several hours to ensure your house remains warm and conducive and then during those cold evenings, it supplies the much needed hot water to guarantee a restive night. But with so much usage and many moving parts, you’d naturally expect your boiler to breakdown at some point especially if it’s 7 years old or above. So what’s the next line of action when it happens, leaving your radiators off and water cold? With the likely high boiler repair cost, it’s only logical to consider whether your boiler repairs is covered by your home insurance.

In almost all situations, the standard home insurance will not provide coverage for the cost of repairing or replacing a broken boiler. Being fully aware that boiler breakdowns are mostly caused by a lack or not so regular maintenance practices or servicing, most home insurance providers will exclude it from this from their offerings. In fact, a home insurance is more likely to provide coverage for the damage that has happened as a result of a broken appliance. For instance, the damage caused as a result of gas, oil or water leaking from a boiler are more likely to be paid for by the home insurance providers, but they’ll not pay for the repair or replacement of the broken boiler itself.

If you need our home insurance to cover your boiler repair, then you might just be able to get an extra insurance cover from your provider that includes a broken boiler repair. You can consult them to determine if this is possible as well as the cost to be paid per month. This will normally cost about £5 to £10 per month, but it gives you a peace of mind knowing you’re covered if your boiler happens to breakdown.

Is Electric Heating Expensive?

Well, electric heating being termed as “expensive is relative to your budget. But we can tell you making use of electric heating will cost you within the range of an additional £300 to £400 per year more than the conventional gas powered systems. Meanwhile the average UK home making use of heating has been found to incur around £550 on an annual basis while those using electric storage heaters will spend almost £900 every year, according to OVO Energy.

However, there are numerous benefits of using electric heating and some of which can contribute to give a lower cost. If you’re considering the installation of an electric heating, here are some of the benefits you’ll derive.

• Safety. The several risks that comes with traditional systems are greatly reduced with an electric heating system. For instance, there’s no risk of carbon monoxide emissions or potential explosions since there’s no use of fuel to run the system.

• Installation. When compared to traditional systems, electric heating quite inexpensive to fit. This is due to the fact that minimal hardware are needed in the installation - no pipes, no flues, no vents and no ducts to be used. As a result, electric heating systems can also be installed within a shorter period of time.

• Environment. Generally, electricity has a positive impact on the environment especially due to the fact that there are no gasses or heavy metals incorporated in the system’s make up.

• Control. Electric heating offers a more convenient and controllable system. What’s more? This does not only make life easier, but can also help save as much as 30 percent on yearly cost of heating as well as helping to minimize toxic carbon emission. Furthermore, there’s a built in Wi-Fi that usually comes with electric heating systems while same can not be said of traditional gas systems.